Announcements from NGA
Transforming
School Food
What if school meals, nutrition education, and classroom curriculum
were merged? This month's Teachers' Room Feature is packed with success
stories about schools where students grow, cook, taste, and make
decisions about fresh food. It makes a remarkable difference in kids'
acceptance of new, healthful foods and gives them real-life applications
for skills across disciplines -- and that's just for starters. Check
out the Teachers’
Room on Kidsgardening.com for inspiration and ideas
for how to make it happen in your school!
Attention
Early Childhood Educators!
NGA is researching the possibility of creating a garden curriculum for early
childhood educators who work with youth ages 3 through 7. In developing this
concept, we would like to put together a list of educators who may be willing
to participate in a pilot program and serve as an advisory team. If you work
with children ages 3 through 7 (pre-k through 2nd grade) and would be interested
in finding out more about this opportunity as details become available, please
contact Education Specialist Sarah Pounders.
2006 Youth Garden
Grant Winners Announced
NGA and The Home Depot congratulate the
winners of the 2006 Youth Garden
Grants.
These 150 exemplary school and community projects
engage children and young people as learners, explorers, leaders,
and nurturers in outdoor garden settings. View winner
list
___________________________
Conferences
The
17th Annual National Service-Learning Conference ~ March 22-25,
2006
Join
the largest gathering of youths and practitioners involved in the
service-learning
movement in Philadelphia for this high-energy conference. Learn
more about it
How does youth gardening relate to service learning? Read
stories from educators who have made the connection.
2006
National Children & Youth Garden Symposium ~ July 27-29,
2006
Presented by the American Horticultural Society and hosted by The
Missouri Botanical Garden, the theme of this year’s Symposium
is “Cultivating a Sense of Place: A Youth Gardening Adventure." Workshops,
tours, and networking opportunities are capped by the keynote address
by Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children
from Nature Deficit Disorder. Learn more at the AHS
Web site.
___________________________
Resources for Educators
The Science of
Gardening
This
Web site provides an in-depth look at intriguing horticultural
topics from around the globe. Check out the video clips from the
greenhouse in Antarctica! Visit here
Keep
America Beautiful’s Great American Clean Up ~ March 1- May
31
Each spring, Keep America Beautiful coordinates volunteers across
the nation in projects to create community environments that are
healthy, safe, clean and beautiful. Find volunteer opportunities
in your area
National & Global
Youth Service Day 2006 ~ April 21-23
National Youth Service Day is the largest service event in the world.
Plan now for projects and events in your community so your students
can be a part of this global initiative. Visit the Youth
Service America Web site for more information.
2006
National Volunteer Week ~ April 23-29
Volunteers are a key to the success of youth gardens. Take time to
plan a special appreciation event for your volunteers during National
Volunteer Week. Sponsored by the Points of Light Foundation, National
Volunteer Week is about more than thanking volunteers – it also
calls public attention to all that they do to improve our communities.
For more information visit the Points
of Light Foundation Web site.
NEW! Harvest
of History Curriculum
The National
Gardening Association is proud to announce the launch of Harvest of
History, an interactive Web site and fourth-grade curriculum dedicated
to agriculture and rural life. It features interdisciplinary lessons,
video clips depicting farming in the past and present, a database of
primary sources including museum objects and documents, and links to
relevant resources.
As
a collaborating partner, the National Gardening Association provides
a science-based gardening component to provide a hands-on learning
experience. The garden modules lead teachers through the development
of a “school farm project.” Instead of just learning about farming,
students become farmers and thus develop a deeper understanding
and appreciation for the field of agriculture. Visit
the Harvest of History Web site to learn more and
to download materials.
___________________________
Funding
Opportunities
Healthy
Sprouts Awards
These awards support school garden
programs that use the garden to teach about nutrition and the
issue of
hunger in the United States. Sponsored by Gardener’s Supply Company.
In this grant cycle we will present awards to 25 schools or organizations.
Each will receive a $200 gift certificate to Gardener's Supply
Company and a curriculum package from NGA. Apply by October
15, 2006. To learn more or download
an application, visit
here.
2006 Hooked on Hydroponics Awards
The National Gardening Association joins the Hydroponic Merchants
Association and leading hydroponic gardening suppliers in presenting
this 2nd annual award. Classroom hydroponics offers eager students
loads of opportunities to explore concepts across the curriculum,
from biology to economics. Twelve educational programs will each
receive a hydroponics package that fits its classroom space and
includes everything required grow plants successfully indoors.
Application deadline: September 30, 2006. Learn more here
12th
Annual Kids Growing with Dutch Bulbs Awards ~ This
program of the Mailorder Gardening Association, offered in conjunction
with
the International
Flower Bulb Center, Dutch Bulb Exporters, and the North American
Flower Bulb Wholesalers Association, awards
schools with a package of 200 premium Dutch flowering bulbs and
related educational activities.
Application deadline: April 1, 2006. Learn
more here.
2006
Mantis Awards ~ Mantis proudly announces its expanded
2006 award program in support of charitable and educational
garden programs that
enhance
the quality of life in their host communities. In partnership with
Mantis, NGA will select 25 gardens to receive a prize: 20 will
each receive a Mantis Tiller/Cultivator, and five will receive
a ComposT-Twin composting system. We welcome applications from
all nonprofits; past winners include
community gardens, schools, ministries,
colleges, master gardening groups, and hospices. Learn
more here.
Raise Money with Flower Bulbs: Keep 50% of Total Sales!
NGA is proud to endorse the Dutch Gardens Bulb Fundraising Program.
Until April, you can gather orders for summer-blooming bulbs such
as dahlias, gladiolus, and lilies. The Summer-Fall program offers
spring-blooming flora: tulips, daffodils, crocus, and more. And
it's a great deal — your school or youth program gets to
keep 50% of total sales! To learn more about the Dutch Gardens
Bulb
Fundraising program, visit
here.
VIVA!
Garden for Schools Contest ~ deadline March 31, 2006
VIVA! wants to recognize classrooms that are active in school gardening
and that have brought the excitement of gardening to children. Gardens
will be awarded in the categories of: Most Creative Garden Design,
Best Garden Plan, and Best Use of Space. Winners will receive Home
Depot gift cards. Click
here for more information and links to an entry form.
Outdoor
Classroom Grant Program ~ Next deadline: April 30
Lowe’s Charitable and Educational Foundation, International Paper,
and National Geographic Explorer! classroom magazine have
partnered to
create an outdoor classroom grant. The goal is to provide schools
with additional resources to improve their science curriculum by engaging
students in hands-on experiences outside the traditional classroom.
All K-12 public schools in the United States are welcome to apply.
Visit
the Lowe's Web site for more information.
February
News